rise to the top

Let the Sunshine In Rozan Simoni decided to go in-house with COFCO International because of its mission: to build a global agribusiness that meets the rising demand for food all over the world in a sustainable way. To achieve this mission, he says, “we harness the power of people by embedding a culture of positivity.” COFCO calls this culture the Sunshine culture.

Sustaining COFCO’s Sunshine culture comes down to the individuals who make up the company. Fittingly, the center of the COFCO logo is the Chinese word ren, a foundational Confucian virtue that can translate to “humanity.” Embedding ren in COFCO’s logo represents how the business, at its core, combines the concepts of people and harvest—both symbolizing vitality and teamwork.

calling colleagues located in Europe or Brazil, and in the evening, when Asia opens for business, he interacts with colleagues in Singapore and Beijing. Throughout the day, too, with the help of technology, he holds meetings with colleagues scattered across multiple countries and continents.

It comes as no surprise that Simoni loves to travel. He has been to more than one hundred major cities worldwide and more than fifty countries. Through these travels, he has bettered his understanding of different cultures and helped keep cultural sensitivity at the heart of his business dealings.

Looking back on his career, Simoni reflects on the importance of persistence and a practical approach to problem solving. “What I learned is that grit, in addition to smarts, can help you overcome. That has served me well throughout my fifteen-year career to date.”